Knitted selvage construction and method therefor



Dec. 15, 1942. H. HEMMERICYH KNITTED SELVAGE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1941 Bis--5;

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Dec. 15, 1942. H. HEMMERICH 2,305,213

KNITTED SELVAGE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD THEREFOR Filed June 50, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiE- E ELLE--QL (/AVLL Z, fin '//I III /III// "I //m// y m m Ill m INVENTORZ FJ. E m uiemmenw, Z) f g BY Dec. 15, 1942.

H. HEMMERICH Filed June 30, 1941 FLU-7-5- KNITTED SELVAGE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD THEREFOR 3 Sheet.

s-Sheet 3 INVENTORZ ATTOR Y.

Patented Dec. 15, 1942 KNITTED SELVAGE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD THEREFOR Hugo Hemmerich, Reinhold's, Pia, assignmto Berkshire Knitting Mills, Wyomissing, Pm, a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicatlonJune 30, 1941, Serial-N0. 0376 Y 8 Claims. (01. 66-182) This invention relates to knitted fabric and more particularly to flat-knitted full-fashioned hosiery blanks and the method of making the same.

In the manufacture of full-fashioned hosiery, of silk, nylon and other yarns, it is a well known practice to reinforce the heel sections with one or more reinforcing yarns or threads, the reinforcements usually extending tothe edges of the blanks. This has been found objectionable in that it results in an increase in the thickness of the seam in the region of the.

heel to an extent causing discomfort to the wearer of the hosiery.

Further, it is a known practice to knit the leg and foot section of a stocking blank on one machine to make a fsingle unit" blank. One method of carrying out said practice involves widening the blank in the region of the heel. Such widening, however, has given difliculty in that usual selvage'loop arrangements at these regions promote runs. This is particularly true when nylon yarn is used in the selvage construction. since such yarn is more slippery than silk.

It is an object of my invention to provide a flat knitted fabric, of which an example is a full-fashioned stocking blank, having a widened reinforced run interrupting region terminating in a single-yarn area along the seaming edges.

. It is a further object of my. invention to pro vide such a stocking blank having a widened reinforced section provided with a single-yarn non-run arrangement along the selvage edges.

Another object of my invention is to provide a single unit stocking blank having a widened reinforced heel section provided. with a single yarn area along the edge including a loop formation for preventing runs.

An additional object is to provide a method of widening fiat-knitted fabric or stocking blanks having one or more reinforced areas, the selvages of which are relatively thinner and formed of a loop formation impervious to runners.

A further object is to provide a full-fashioned stocking blank having a non-run seaming edge comprising increasing weights or numbers of yarns in the direction inwardly from the edge.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of l the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention resides in the novel knitted fabrics and method of making the same, as

hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a stocking embodying my article invention and made according tomy process invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of a blank from which the stocking of Fig. 1 is formed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one of the widened heel sections of the blank shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a straight edged portion of the heel portion shown in Fig. 3 and enlarged relative thereto;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a widened portion of the heel portion shown in Fig. 3 and enlarged relative thereto;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic detail view of a widened part of a modified heel section within my invention; 1

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of a further modified heel section; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the fabric of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, a stocking A, Fig. 1, is one embodying my fabric invention and one made in accordance with my method invention. Stocking A is of a full-fashioned. type, having been knitted in the formof a flat blank B, Fig. 2. The selvage edges of blank B were then seamed together along the seam line S to form the stocking A. The blank B is of the single unit type, that is knitted throughout on a single machine. I do not limit myself to this in all cases,

however, as some aspects of my invention are equally applicable to stocking the blanks for which have been knitted on more than one machine, blanks made on the well known legger and footer machines being examples ofanother form to which my inventionmay be applied.

The blank B includes the usual two-ply welt portion ID at its top followed by a. single ply unreinforced portion II which may or may not include an after welt or shadow welt (not shown), corresponding portions I 0 and H appearing in the stocking A. The usual fashioning marks I! and I3 for the knee and leg narrowings are shown in the portion ll of both the blank B and stocking A. Below the section in which the narrowing marks l3 appear, the single yarn or unreinforced portion extends down to include an ankle section I4 and also an instep section heel portions of the blank 3 and stocking A. In

the blank shown, the heel portions proper It are widened in their upper parts along the lines l9, and narrowed in their lower parts along the lines 2|, fashion marks 22 appearing in blank B and stocking A as the result of the narrowing operation. Heel portions II have also parts provided with straight parallel sides 23 connecting the inclined boundary lines 19 and 2|. In the section bounded by the outwardly inclined lines or edges IS, the fabric is widened by racking out the end stops a distance of two needles at each end of 'certain courses. In knitting blank B, the end stops were racked out every fourth course. However, I do not limit myself to widening by two needles or at both ends of a given course.

Heel portions ll of blank B include also narrow strips 24 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, of the single yarn area i I which extend along the outer sides of the two yarn area IS in the heel'portions l8 and form the selvage edges of the blank B along the lines l9, 2| and 23, strips 24 terminating at points 25 at the lower ends of the heel portions Hi. The single yarn strip 24 along the edge portions 19 where widening i carried out, when of plain knitted loop formation as shown, is of a slip-loop character and has a tendency to run in case a loop is unsupported or a yarn breaks. This is especially true when the foot is made of nylon yarn. "Nylon yarn being more slippery than silk it runs even more readily when made into slip-loop formations than silk. The edge of the two yarn area It, however, acts as a run stop, keeping the runs in the single yarn selvage strips 24 and producing a single yarn selvage strip or area of an open character as best shown in Fig. 5. Owing to the action of the reinforced area it in blocking runs starting'in the relatively light area or strip 24, all the fabric containing runs or being of an open character is easily taken into the stocking seam.

Along the parts of the heel portions 18 having straight or parallel edges 23, there i no more tendency for the single yarn area to develop runs than in the portion H, and the single yarn strip 24 along the selvages remains intact as knitted as best appears in Fig. 4, except, of course, in case of a-broken yarn.

Along the edge 2|, conditions are the same so far as runs are concerned'as along edge 23.

In theheel portions l8, further, a third yarn is employed producing three yarn areas 26. Areas 26 are entirely surrounded by parts of the two yarn area it, narrow strips 21 of the two yarn section or area l6 lying between areas 28 and the single yarn selvage strips 24, and the area It also extending beyond the areas 26 on all other sides of the latter. As is clear from Figs. 1 and 2, fashion marks 22 caused by narrowing heel portions l8 lie within the triple yarn areas 26.

The relative weights or thicknesses and positions of fabric parts or sections ll, Ii, 24, 28 and 21 are perhaps best understood from Fig. 6 in which the unreinforced or single yarn areas II and 24 are shown not only as extending on both sides of the portions It and 21 which are reinforced by a single yarn in addition to the bodyyarnandthe oyarnareasitandfl are shown as extending both sides of the portion 28 which is reinforced by two yarn; in additiontothebodyyarmthesingleyarnareas being shown in Fig. 6 as-having minimum weight or thickness, the two yarn areasas having an intermediate weight or thickness and the three yarn area 20' is shown as having a maximum weight or thickness. The showing in Fig. 6 will be understood to -be somewhat diagrammatic since the difference in thickness between the different areas is small. However, I do not limit myself to an arrangement in which a lighter weight area entirely surrounds a heavier area, but considered as within my invention any arrangement in which a heavier area is largely in others, of any marked tendency to develop runs and I have discovered a loop formation and method of making it which widens a plain knitted fabric while resulting in a selvage which is substantially run-proof. A part of a heel portion ISA of a single unit stocking widened by the use of said loop formation is shown in Fig. '1. The heel part 18A is shown as including a single yarn selvage strip 24A, two needle wales wide, and a two yarn strip 21A, also two needle wales wide, between the edge ISA and the three yarn portion or area 26A. In making the widened part shown in Fig. 7, widening was performed every fourth course although it may be performed more or less often if desired, depending. on the style of stocking. The said widening operation in a given course includes spreading each of the needle loops 1: at the edge of the fabric outward so that it surrounds two needles, the needle on which it was formed and one on the outside of said needle. The spreading of the end needle loops of the course is followed by the operation of moving the end stops for the yarn carrier rods and the yarn carrier rods themselves outwardly. Preferably, the stops are moved out two needles at each end of a given course, the rods being moved an equal distance at approximately the same time, but I do not limit myself to moving the stops more than one needle at each end in a given course as the stops may be moved out one needle in the course in which the loops are spread outwardly and another needle in the next course, especially when widening is performed only every flfth course. Moreover, the stops may be moved out alternately at opposite edges of the fabric in either one needle steps or two needle steps. As the result of the spreading of a loop a and moving out the yarn carrier rod two needles, an end needle loop b is formed in the next course, beginning a needle wale on the outside of the one in which loop a was formed. In the course next following the one in which loop b was formed, several bights of yarn interwine as a result of the knitting operation, following the stepping out of the end stops, to form a nucleus 0 serving as a support for needle loop (I in a wale outside the whale of needle loop b in the next following course, the third course after the one in which loop a was spread. In

the fabric shown in Fig. 7, another loop a is spread outwardly in the same needle wale as loop d in the course following the .one containing loop d, thereby beginning another repeat of four courses in which the fabric is widened by two needle wales at each edge, i. e. four needles in all. In each instancein which a loop a is spread at the edge of the fabric it is preferred to spread the two loops contiguous thereto in the same course in the same direction as loop a, the lower outer edge of the needle loop e, next to loop a, serving to support a sinker loop I on the inside of needle loop b and in the same course, so that the loop b has the usual form of the ordinary plain knitted loop. The loop ais also spread as shown in Fig. -7, loop 9 lying next to loop e but in the section 21A. While it is preferred-to spread three loops at each edge of the fabric, I do not limi myself to this. The single yarn strips 24 and 4A, especially in conjunction with the two yam strips 21 and 21A, materially reduce the bulkiness of the seams formed when the edges of the blank B and the like are sewed together, although some of the three yarn area 26A is sometimes caught into a seam.

In order to avoid practically all chance of catching any of a three yarn area 26 into a seam,

I have shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a portion of a heel section of a stocking which is similar to that shown in Fig. 7 except that it includes a single thread selvage strip 243 which is four needle wales wide instead of only two and that the twoyarn strip 213 between the strip 243 and the three yarn section 26B consequently contains no spread loops such as loop g in Fig. 7. The arrangement .of Figs. 8 and 9 therefore has six needle wales, four in strip 243 and two in strip 213, between each three-yarn section or area 263 and the selvage edge I9Bof the fabric, and

there is no need of catching any of the three yarn area into the seam. In fact, with care, a seam can be limited almost entirely to the single yarn strips NB.

It will be seen that by providing a relatively light or thin area or light areas along the seaming edge, I obtain a relatively light or fine seam. Also, by stopping a reinforcing thread short of a seaming edge, a thread arrangement is obtained acting as a barrier or run stop along the edge of the reinforced area. Further, by spreading three loops in each widened course, I can obtain a substantially run-proof light weight selvage.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described by which I obtain the above results, can'be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A flat knitted article including a reinforced section and a single yarn area along the outer edge of said reinforced section of a width adapt-- ed to be taken into a seam, said single yarn area including a run-stop loop formation and said reinforced section adapted to stop runs originating in said single yarn area.

2. A stocking blank having a portion comprising a single yarn area extending along a selvage edge and in part of a slip-loop character, and a reinforced area largely embraced by said single yarn area and a three yarn area largely embraced by said two yam area.

3. A stocking blank as set forth in claim 2 and in which the single yarn area along the selvage edge .of the portion in contact with the two thread area is four needle wales wide. 4. A knitted fabric having a widened portion comprising a single yam area extending along the edge, a two yarn area largely embraced by said single yarn area and running close to the widened edge and a three yarn area largely embraced by said two yam area.

5. A knitted fabric having a section widened by loops in certain courses spread outwardly to cover two wales, said courses having loops spread similarly in a plurality of contiguous needle wales beginning with the ones at the ends of the courses, and having, in the third course, from each of those containing said spread loops, an additional Wale outside the outer Wale of the next preceding one of the courses containing spread loops; to further widen the fabric, a sinker loop in each course following one including spread loops engaging only in the outwardly stretched portion of a spread needle loop from an interior wale.

6. A knitted fabric having a widened section including-a single'thread area four needle wales wide along its selvage edge, said section being widened in every fourth course by spreading three contiguous needle loops to include wales outside of those in which they were formed.

7. A knitted fabric having a widened section including a single thread area a plurality of needle wales wide along its selvage edge, said section being widened in every fourth course by more than one contiguous needle loop each spread outwardly to include at least two wales.

8. A knitted fabric having a single threadsection, a plurality of needle wales wide, widened by loops'in certain courses spread outwardly to cover two wales, said courses having loops spread similarly in a plurality of contiguous needle wales beginning with the ones at the ends of the courses, and having, in a course more than the second from each of those containing said spread loops, an additional wale outside the outer wale of the next preceding one of the courses containing spread loops to further widen the fabric, a sinker loop in each course following one including spread loops engaging only in the outwardly stretched portion of a spread needle loopfrom an interior Wale.

' HUGO HEMMERICH. 

